The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1887-03-17

to the house of his uncle, Lot Benton,
in North Guilford, whsre his early
years were passed. By the aid Of his
uncle, who made him his heir, Lyman
Beecher prepared for college at Gull
ford, New Haven and West Haven,
and was graduateu from Yale in 1897.
He afterward studied theology under
President Dwight. In 1898 he was
ordained pastor of church at East
Hampton, l.. l., where he remained
twelve years, removing in 1910 to the
care of the first church in Litchfeld,
Ct, where he preached for sixteen
years.
In 1926, when the spread of Unita-
rianism was causing many defections
from the ancient Puritan faith, Dr.
Beecher was chosen as the champion
of Orthodoxy and installed over the
Hanover Street Church in Boston
Here his preaching resulted in revi-
val of the spirit and increase in the
number of evangelical Christians In
1882 he took charge Of the Lane The
illogical Seminary at Cincinnati, re-
naming ten years, and then returned
to Boston, where he lived until 1856,
when he removed to Brooklyn. Here
his death occurred January 10, 1868.
His fame as a theologian, orator, wri-
ter, and leader in great moral move
ments, such as the temperance and
anti-slavery causes, is well known.
He was three times married, and was
the father of thirteen children
among them Catharine, who was
prominent in female education; Ed
| ward Beecher. writer, teacher and pas
tor, and Harriet Beecher Stowe,
author.
EARLY DAYS.
Henry Ward Beecher was one of
the three youngest of the thirteen
children. His mother died when he
was three years old, and Harriet Por-
ter, DR.. Beecher's second wife, is rep
resented to have been lady of such
dignity that her influence was some
what depressing upon children full Of
animal spirits and vigor. Toys and
holidays were unknown. The life of
the minister's children was character
lied by almost spartan simplicity,
which, with the winds and SHOWS Of
the mountain town, developed rugged
ness, energy and self-reliance. In
| Henry these traits were especially
strong. The nine-year-old boy vowed
to go through an unusually severe
winter without wearing an overcoat,
and when drouth came in the dead
of winter he harnessed the horse to a
sled and started off, three miles over
bleak hills, to fill barrel with water
The first steps in his education were
taken at Widow Kilbourne's, where
he was perched upon bench for sew
eral idle hours daily, only called upon
twice each day to say his letters.
When these were learned he was grad
uated to little unpainted district
school-house near the parsonage,
where he was exercised in reading the
Bible and "The Columbian Orator" in
elementary arithmetic and handwrit-
ing.
At ten he was strong, overgrown
boy, obedient, used to hard work and
habituated, too, to hear the great ques-
tions Of Calvinism daily discussed in
his home and to argue upon them
himself. He was poor writer and
worse speller, speaking indistinctly,
and bashful to the verge stupidity. At
this time he entered a private school
in Bethlehem, under the charge of the
Rev. DR.. Langdon, and there showed
the strength of his opinions by victo-
riously defending the Bible in a de-
bate with a schoolmate who argued
from Paine's age Of Reason" All
of Mr.. Beecher's boyhood, as we'll as
his later life, was characterized by an
intense love of nature and fondness
amounting almost to passion for be-
ing out of doors. At Bethlehem he
spent hours wandering about the old
orchards or in the deep woods. The
melancholy which formed the deeper
side of the boys nature was often bu-
ried out of sight by an equally natu-
raj, constantly effervescent spirit of
fun. When, after an improbable
year at Bethlehem, he was transferred
to his sisters school at Hartford, he
quickly gained the reputation Of being
IAN inveterate joker and an indiffer-
ent scholar"
/ At the age of twelve his father re-
moved to Boston and Henry entered
the Boston Latin School. But year
Of dry study made him moody and
nervous and restless. At his. fathers
suggestion, he began to read biogra-
phies, the lives Of travellers, sailors and
commanders. Carried away by their
deeds Of daring and enterprise, he
wrote to a brother his resolve to go to
sea, with or without his fathers per-
mission. DIR. Beecher read this letter,
and shrewdly humoring his sons ex-
pressed desire "to be midshipman
and afterward commander remind
ed him that training in mathematics
and navigating was essential, and
promised to send him to Mount Pleas
ant in Amherst for his preparatory
studies. But when the next week
came and Henry started for Mount
Pleasant, DIR. Beecher said wisely to
another member of the family: Il
shall have that boy in the ministry
yet" At this school the boy was put
through systematic course of elocu-
ton by Prof. John E. Lowell, which
developed his voice and taught him
use Of gestures and the proper man
agement of his body. Mr.. Beecher
always considered that the removal of
his natural disabilities, without which
he could have attained no success as
speaker, was due entirely to Prof
Lowell.
RESOLVING TO ENTER THE MINISTRY.
A religious revival took place at the
school in Henry's first year, which
crystallized into more definite form
his keen sensibillties and vague pur-
poses. At his fathers request he
went to Boston and there united with
the Hanover Street Church. DIR.
Beecher was man exceptionally en-
thusiastic in his professions, and with
him the natural result of Henry's con-